A Boston woman who begged a car thief for her dog’s return was reunited with her pet on Monday, a day after someone stole her vehicle with the eight-year-old Labrador inside it.
The dog named Chief was found in the SUV in Woodlawn Cemetery in Everett, just outside of Boston, to the relief of owner Rosa Nese, WBZ-TV reported.
"It was like a sigh of relief," Nese said after the reunion, adding she was worried because the dog needs certain medication. "My main concern was that he was safe."
Nese told the television station she walked into the Saratoga Market in East Boston at 8:45 a.m. Sunday, leaving Chief and the keys inside the car while she purchased a lottery ticket. When she left the convenience store, the vehicle was gone.
Surveillance cameras showed a man get into the SUV and drive off with the dog in the back seat, CBS News reported.
"At 8:51 I came out and saw my car was missing," Nese said. "I went hysterical because my dog, Chief, was in it."
Nese's friends and family began searching for the vehicle and the dog, setting up what became a war room inside her East Boston apartment, CBS News said.
Authorities arrested David Brady, 50, of Boston, in connection with the vehicle theft, WBZ-TV reported. Police said he was taken into custody after a foot chase Monday evening.
Nese had adopted Chief eight years ago and she told the Boston Globe the dog has been a source of comfort in difficult times. She said Chief helped her cope with her mother's death in June 2016 and a devastating fire in her childhood home a few days later.
"He's basically a lovable yellow lab," Nese said, per CBS News. "Friendly, he loves everybody and everything. He rescued me, actually."
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.